LOST MY TRUST IN SCDF!

Yesterday, 27th March 2008, my mum received a surprise visit from two SCDF officers who is there to personally hand deliver a letter to me, but as i was working during that time, my mum received it on my behalf.

She called me up, sounding very distress and panicky, asking me whether i have deserted from National Service! I was shock for a moment, trying to digest fully my mum's words. What the hell? Since when have i deserted from National Service? After that conversation, i couldn't concentrate fully on my job, feeling distress, confuse and in shock. What the hell is going on here?

When i get back home later that night, i quickly reach for the letter from the SCDF. Its headline was, "FINAL WARNING"! and the sub-headline was, " ABSENSE FROM IN-CAMP TRAINING".

In point 1, it ask me to refer to the letter that was served to me dated 07/01/2008 and says that they have yet to hear from me despite the reminder.

In point 2, they says that they have consider me as having deserted from National Service and that upon conviction, i am liable to serve imprisonment for a term not exceeding 10 years.

In point 3, it stated that they are still prepared to take a lighter view of my offence if i respond to the letter immediately by contacting the unit, which is SCDF HQ 4th CD Division.

The letter was signed personally by the Officer In Charge of NSPAC, LTA Foo See Kum of the HQ 4th CD Division.

Well, of course when i have read through the letter, not once, not twice but over and over again, i really feel disgusted and angry with SCDF, for accusing me of something which i have not done! At the same time, there's also fear in me, and i'm not in the right state of mind, feeling extremely confused and distressed! I keep asking myself of what is going on, what is happening and that night, i did not have a peaceful sleep.

This morning, i woke up early to call the cd division. A staff answered, and when i asked to speak to LTA Foo, the staff replied back that he's in Civil defence Academy. Jolly well, as i was feeling extremely angry that time, i spoke to this staff of the letter which they hand delivered. The staff replied that i did not attend my In-camp training in December 2007! Hearing that, i immediately "exploded" at him. I also told him that i did not receive any letter from them  dated 07/01/2008.

Yes its true, i was to attend my reservist training in late December 2007. But as luck would have it, i had a foot infection and the doctor excuse me from wearing any boots/shoes for a week. On the very first day of the December reservist, i reported back to Civil Defence Academy and showed my excuse letter to the officers in charge. He then advice me to go back to the 4th CD Division to submit my excuse letter and reschedule my reservist date.  So i did that and my reservist training was reschedule to February 2008, which i attended. The staff then check my ic and then he admitted that there is a mistake. I was furious. I demanded for LTA Foo to get back to me.

LTA Foo eventually called and i reprimanded him and give him a piece of my mind. He admit about the mistake and apologise over the phone and gave 1001 excuses but i demanded that i want an apology letter in black and white and asked it to be hand delivered personally and for them to apologise to my family personally for the distress and alarm caused. This is a very serious matter as it had caused a lot of distress to my family. For me being accused of deserting from National Service duty is already a very serious matter. I also asked him for disciplinary action to be taken to those who cause this mess. what is worse, he signed the warning letter personally himself without any counter check!

I'm now planning to write in to the Ministry of Home Affairs regarding this unfortunate incident to ensure that action will be taken and that this kind of thing won't happen again in the future.

Is this the kind of standard of a world class organisation which Singapore is proud of? Frankly speaking, i have totally lost my faith and trust in SCDF! Never ever in my life, from very now onwards...